Ukraine has a realistic plan to get back Crimea, Syrskyi says. A series of Russian attacks on Kharkiv and the surrounding region kill three and damage the office of a Swiss mine-clearing NGO. EU Permanent Representations approve the first 4.2 euro instalment under the Ukraine Facility plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an interview with the Guardian released on Wednesday, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine had a realistic plan to get back Crimea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said Kyiv had a plan to get back Crimea, more than a decade after Vladimir Putin illegally annexed it. Was this really feasible? \u201cIt\u2019s realistic. Of course, it\u2019s a big military secret,\u201d the general said. He continued: \u201cWe will do everything we can to reach the internationally recognised borders of 1991 [when Ukraine voted for independence from the USSR]. We have to win \u2026 to liberate our citizens who are in the occupied territories, who are suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I know that we will win. I know how I have to do it. And I\u2019m sure that we will do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia\u2019s successes, meanwhile, came at a staggering human cost. The Kremlin\u2019s casualties were \u201cthree times\u201d higher than Ukraine\u2019s, and \u201ceven more\u201d in certain directions, Syrskyi said. \u201cTheir number of killed is much bigger,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Syrskyi contrasted his battlefield tactics with those used by Russian commanders, who are known for sacrificing huge numbers of infantry troops to gain \u201c100 to 200 metres\u201d. \u201cIt\u2019s very important for us to save the lives of our soldiers. We don\u2019t defend ruins to the death,\u201d Syrskyi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two and half years into Vladimir Putin\u2019s full-scale onslaught, he acknowledges the Russians are much better resourced. They have more of everything: tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, soldiers. Their original 100,000-strong invasion force has grown to 520,000, he said, with a goal by the end of 2024 of 690,000 men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier this week, Syrskyi commented on how to win outnumbered. He said: \u201cWhat should we do and what can we do to hold back the enemy\u2019s advance while fighting outnumbered? Here\u2019s the only answer: effective fire suppression of the enemy\u2019s main forces and its reserves far from the front lines; comprehensive suppression of the enemy near the front line; steadily holding the engineered lines and positions; using all possibilities of weapons and ammunition, in which we have an upper hand, especially combat drones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian troops should also seek new ways to destroy the enemy\u2019s reconnaissance drones, using electronic warfare systems and FPV drones, Syrskyi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quality training of service members and preparation of headquarters at all levels are key to fully using combat capabilities and minimizing losses, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia launched a series of attacks on Kharkiv and the surrounding region on Wednesday, killing three people, wounding at least six and damaging the office of a Swiss mine-clearing NGO, local officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regional police said a strike on the town of Lozova, south of Kharkiv, killed three people and injured six, with rescue operations proceeding into the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Synehubov, said an overnight strike destroyed the facade of the Fondation suisse de d\u00e9minage\u2019s (FSD) office and the ceilings of several of its floors. Six cars used by the organization were damaged, he said, noting the importance of demining initiatives in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said there had been five separate strikes on the city since Russia\u2019s overnight attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest one hit an industrial area and injured six people, he said. Police said unspecified infrastructure was destroyed in this attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Synehubov reported new strikes late in the evening, but there were no reports on casualties or damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A morning strike hit a natural park in the suburbs of Kharkiv, igniting a fire in the stalls. The fire spread, covering an area of 1,500 square meters, Ukraine\u2019s State Emergency Service said. Two men were injured. The horses were moved to safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
EU Permanent Representations approved a first instalment under the Ukraine Facility plan on Wednesday, paving the way for the transfer of nearly EUR 4.2 billion to support Ukraine\u2019s macro-financial stability and the functioning of its public administration, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a next step, the EU Council will move ahead with a written procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On July 17, the European Commission gave a positive assessment for the first regular payment under the EU\u2019s Ukraine Facility program. Under the Ukraine Facility, the country will receive up to EUR 50 billion in grants and loans between 2024 and 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regular quarterly payments under the Ukraine Facility are conditional on Ukraine meeting pre-agreed requirements. The Commission has concluded that Ukraine has satisfactorily fulfilled the nine reform indicators linked to the payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Audit Board will monitor the spending under the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n